2008 BMW 528I

LOW BEAM AND FOG LIGHT MALFUNCTION. I'M NOT A MECHANIC, BUT IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE THE CASING AROUND THE WIRES IS JUST DISINTEGRATING AND MAY BE ARCHING. I TRIED ELECTRICAL TAPE TO TRY TO INSULATE THEM, BUT TO NO AVAIL. I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH A THING HAPPEN. AFTER LOOKING AROUND FOR RECALLS, I FOUND NO RECALLS ON THIS SUBJECT, BUT FOUND PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT. THE MALFUNCTION IS NOT CONSTANT, BUT IS ABOUT 90% OF THE TIME. I HAVE LEARNED A WAY AROUND IT BY MOVING THE HEADLIGHT DIAL TO A DIFFERENT POSITION. I'M DUE FOR AN OIL CHANGE NOW, SO WILL HAVE THE DEALER CHECK IT NOW THAT I'M GOING IN FOR SOMETHING ELSE. BUT I'M GUESSING I'M GOING TO BE STUCK WITH A HEFTY REPAIR BILL FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS A DESIGN FLAW.

I PURCHASED A USED 2008 BMW 528I MID-JANUARY OF 2017. IT WAS WELL MAINTAINED, A SINGLE OWNER VEHICLE WITH JUST OVER 60K MILES. IT HAS A CLEAN CARFAX AND A WELL DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF REGULAR MAINTENANCE AT A BMW DEALERSHIP IN ORLANDO, FL. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE FOR JUST OVER 3 WEEKS, THE PASSENGER SIDE DAY TIME RUNNING LAMP WENT OUT. I RECEIVED A "MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP" (MIL) ON THE DASH SO I INVESTIGATED. BEING AT HOME AND THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE, I REMOVED THE COVER TO THE ASSOCIATED BULB, I NOTICED BARE WIRING THAT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLUG-IN CONNECTOR (THERE ARE TWO WIRES). I THOUGHT THIS UNUSUAL AND STRANGE. I SUBSEQUENTLY REPLACED THE BULB BUT THAT DID NOT REPAIR THE FAULT. SINCE THE INSULATION ON THE FAULTY WIRING WAS IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, IT WAS PROVIDING A GROUND AND SHORTING OUT THE BULB. THIS COULD REPRESENT A POTENTIAL FOR CAUSING A FIRE AND HAZARDOUS SITUATION. FURTHER RESEARCH VIA THE INTERNET (FORUMS), I WAS ASTOUNDED AT THE AMOUNT OF CONSUMERS WHO HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN TO BMW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. HELLA IS THE MANUFACTURER OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY FOR BMW. I AM UNSURE AT THIS TIME IF BMW HAS EXPRESSED CONCERN TO HELLA OF THE POTENTIAL LIABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR SUBSTANDARD WIRING IN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. IT APPEARS OVER A 5-8 YEAR PERIOD OF USE THAT THE INSULATION IS BEING SUBJECTED TO HIGH TEMPERATURES THAT CAUSE BRITTLENESS, FRACTURES AND FINALLY DEGRADE TO WHERE THE WIRING BECOMES EXPOSED. BMW IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE BUT DOES NOT APPEAR CONCERNED OR MOTIVATED TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. I AM SURE THAT THERE CONCERNS REVOLVE AROUND PROFIT MARGINS, BUT I FEEL WHERE SAFETY IS OF CONCERN, MONEY SHOULD NOT BE THE REASON FOR NOT CORRECTING A PROBLEM. I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT INVESTIGATION BE CONDUCTED IN ORDER TO DISCERN THE POTENTIAL IMPACT TO CONSUMERS SHOULD THIS PROBLEM NOT BE CORRECTED BY THE MANUFACTURER.

THE VEHICLE IS MADE WITH INFERIOR WIRE COATING THAT CAN AND I'M SURE HAS RESULTED IN FIRES. NOT TO MENTION THE FEATURES OF THE LIGHTS CAN AND WILL STOP WORKING UNEXPECTEDLY. THIS ALSO CAUSES SHORTS IN THE WIRING OF THE SWITCH IN THE DASH I BELIEVE AND POSSIBLE BATTERY DRAIN LEAVING PEOPLE STRANDED OR EVEN HAVING CAR DIE WHILE IN MOTION. BMW HAD MY CAR FOR 3 WEEKS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ALL THEIR OTHER FAULTY ISSUES - THEY FINALLY HAD THEIR HEAD FOREMAN TAKE THE CAR HOME WITH HIM AND GO OVER IT WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB. HE FIXED MOST OF THE ISSUES. THEY HAD SENT ME HOME WITH MY CAR 3 OR 4 TIMES TELLING ME MY ISSUES WERE RESOLVED ONLY FOR THE CAR TO STALL, SMELL LIKE BURNING RUBBER OR JUST NOT START. THEY WERE ALSO AWARE OF THE FAULTY WIRING BUT DID NOT LIST IT AS AN ITEM OF EMINENT CONCERN - HOWEVER AFTER TAKING CAR TO ANOTHER MECHANIC FOR A BLOWN BULB A MONTH LATER THEY EXPRESSED TO ME THE EXTREME FIRE HAZARD THE VEHICLE WIRING POSED AND THAT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE (OR PROBLEMATIC DESIGN RATHER) OF BMW THEY WERE NOT AT LIBERTY TO DELVE INTO SUCH MATTERS. BMW IS THE UTMOST MORALLY REPREHENSIBLE AUTO MAKER I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED FROM START TO FINISH. MY LIGHTS WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING AND I WAS ALMOST HIT BY A DRIVER IN A LARGE ESCALADE AROUND DUSK A WEEK AGO. WHAT'S WORSE IS WHEN I TOOK VEHICLE TO BMW I WAS ALSO HAVING THEM FIX THE TAIL LIGHT RECALL THAT IS PRONE TO CAUSE FIRES. I HAVE NEVER MET MORE INCOMPETENT PEOPLE. YOU DO NOT GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

HAD TO REPLACE A HEADLIGHT BULB AND A TURN SIGNAL BULB. WHEN OPENING THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY TO ACCESS THE TWO BULBS MUCH OF THE INSULATION ON THE WIRING INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY JUST CRUMBLED AWAY INTO VERY TINY PIECES AND DUST, WHICH FELL INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE ASSEMBLY. IT'S AS IF THE WIRE INSULATION HAS DRIED OUT AND FAILED IN THE EIGHT YEARS SINCE THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. NOW MOST OF THE WIRING IS JUST BARE AND EXPOSED. THE WIRING CAN'T BE ACCESSED FROM OUTSIDE AND THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY DOES NOT COME APART. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE WIRING SHORT CIRCUITING AND POSSIBLY CAUSING A FIRE IN THE HEADLIGHTS. I'M 68 YEARS AND HAVE OWNED 13 DIFFERENT CARS FROM AMERICAN AND GERMAN MANUFACTURERS. I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED ANYTHING LIKE THIS. I THINK THERE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WIRING. I CONTACTED BMW ABOUT THIS AND THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I THINK THIS MAY BE A SIGNIFICANT DEFECT THAT COULD AFFECT THE SAFETY OF THE CAR. I HAVE DONE SOME SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS SERIES OF BMW CARS. BMW WON'T AKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM AND WON'T PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE OTHER THAN TO SUGGEST THAT I BUY NEW HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES FROM THEM WHICH WERE MADE WITH THE SAME POOR QUALITY WIRING.